The diversity of Camel spider size and some representatives

Camel spiders also known as “wind scorpion”, “sun spider” or even “solifugae” which means hiding from sun are not actually spider or scorpion because they are specialists of finding shade, Solifugae is from class Arachnid, when spiders are Arachnid, but Arachnid are not spider at all. This kind of spider order is different from scorpion is the absence of tale and looks like spider with much more construction. They are first discovered in the Middle East (Iraq) and sandy areas. They are carnivores so their feeds are insects, rodents and lizards. The study of Camel spider has showed 1100 species of solifugae and its variety size can spread from tiny size (about a few millimeters) to 15 centimeters (5- 6 inches) including longest legs. And their parturition habitat is placing eggs under the sand and utilizing the heat to hatch the eggs.

There are a lot of myths made up by people from one photo that leads to misunderstanding of camel spider size. There once believed that the camel spider could reach 15 inches long (over 38 centimeters), jump up to 2 meters and their venom can kill people in one shot. But the all- out length is 6 inches (15 centimeters), they have no unique jumping skill, and they just lead an extreme hurt after bites. Let’s point out some representatives of camel spider size and see how they can belong to Solifugae order.

The largest camel spider to be known as until now is Egyptian Giant solpugids. They are measured to reach 6 inches in length. One more feature is adult male is much smaller than adult female that the people can see it as immature spider. Their distribution is mostly in the deserts of Egypt, the Middle East and western Asia. The sizes of Egyptian Giant solpugids make it able to reach speed of 10 miles (16 kilometers) per hour. Their jaws make up to one third of body length, it means 2 inches and give power to them to grab then tear the live baits. The bite isn’t poisonous but strongly spreads the hurt feeling because of the giant jaws that look like crab’s pincers.

In contrast, the smallest camel spider ever known belongs to Mummuciidae family, Vempironiella Aguilari., a new genus and species of solifugae found in South America. This species can be distinguished from others by the lack of cheliceral movable fingers and the existence of a diastema between RFA and RFP teeth on fixed finger. The masculine vempironiella measurement is 3.9- 5.85 mm. But it doesn’t mean that the Mummuciidae is the smallest family of all solifugae order. For example, the Mummuciidae coaraciandu has the total length is 8.9 centimeters in male and 10.9 centimeters in female. It is the only species of Mummuciidae has cheliceral and pleurite pattern.

Ammotrechidae is another famous family of camel spider order, which contains 22 described genera and 83 species until now discovered. They can be differentiated with other families by non- existence of claws on the tarsi of the first leg, tarsal subdivision, pedipalps with a set of lateroventral spines and one more detail is that the male spiders have immobile flagellum on mesal face of each chelicerum. They are found in North America and Caribbean islands. Their heights are hardly ever more than 2 inches (5 cms). There is additionally one new species, ammotrechella beatriceae. The adult male spider is 8.2 mm, really different from other other species belonging to Ammotrechidae family.

200 species from Galeodes family are documented in Northern Africa, Southern of Europe, Asia and throughout deserts of Egypt. And Egyptian Banded Solifugid is one of the largest and specific for representative of the Solifugae order. They are fast and aggressive arachnids that have 3 pairs of leg for moving, 1 pair for feeling and one left pedipalps for assistance to their giant jaws. They have long and hairy and more brighten color than other solfigue. The male will be eaten in true meaning after fertilizing for the eggs because the female becomes hungry and need more energy. It’s a crime in human life but the male spider can’t resist from this tragic in order to continuing generation. The giant spiders are normally 6 inches in length and make it possible to speed up to 10 meters per hour.